Alternative Dental Health versus Conventional Dentistry

Like every type of health care, there are contemporary western methods as well as natural or "alternative" ideas, and that pertains to dentistry as well. While many people ascribe solely to contemporary, conventional methods of dentistry, others are interested in exploring alternative dental ideas. Many of the alternative methods claim to be drawn on ancient concepts, or they embrace natural ideas such as using essential oils. Personally, I am extremely interested in the natural movement, but I also (obviously) see the merit of contemporary dental practices. In this blog, I am going to explore all of it. I am going to look at the most modern dental practices, and I am going to put them beside alternative ideas. I am going to compare, contrast and juxtapose all kinds of ideas. I hope you like what you see and that we both learn something along the way!

2 Social Places To Avoid After Laser Tooth Whitening

Posted on:
18 May 2016

Patients often have to part with relatively huge sums of money for laser tooth whitening. In a large number of cases, such patients are often more than satisfied with the end result of this cosmetic dental procedure.

With this in mind, it is important for patients who've had their teeth whitened to understand what it takes to maintain the results from their dental procedure. This article discusses two social places that patients should avoid after having their teeth whitened.

The Coffee House

For a large number of patients, the coffee house at the corner of the street is a second home of sorts. Unfortunately for such patients, the coffee house comes first in the list of social places to avoid after whitening.

While the enamel is among the hardest parts of the human body, it does not have a smooth, flat surface. There are microscopic ridges and pits on the surface of tooth enamel, which often trap particles of ingested food and drinks.

After a laser-whitening procedure, every visit to the coffee house presents an opportunity for the dark-coloured pigments found in coffee to get trapped in the mentioned ridges and pits. Over time, the accumulation of these pigments leads to a deterioration in the results of the laser-whitening procedure. This occurs in the form of stained or yellow-like teeth.

Instead of going to the coffee house, patients can use that time to enjoy a small cup of home-brewed coffee and then brush their teeth immediately after. This way, patients get their much-needed daily dose of caffeine and the dark-coloured pigments that may have been trapped in this process are dislodged immediately.

The Wine Bar

The wine bar is the second social place to avoid after a laser-whitening procedure. This is more so applicable to patients who love their wine red.

Red wine is well known for its ability to stain teeth. This ability stems from the abundant presence of pigment-producing compounds known as chromogens in red wines. Chromogens will bind to the enamel, thereby causing its discolouration. Red wines are also often rich in tannins, which help to facilitate the binding of chromogens to the enamel.

Lovers of white wine are not left out either. The fact that red wine darkens teeth doesn't mean that white wine will whiten teeth. And that's no joke!

If the trip to the wine bar is a must, sacrifice that time and enjoy that glass of wine at home with a significant other (for example). While at it, be sure to use a straw so that there's minimal contact between the wine and your laser-whitened teeth. Don't forget to brush when the wine glass runs dry!

For more information on how to maintain your newly whitened smile, talk to your dentist.